Tween pop: A sampler

Put together your teen pop sampler using this cheat sheet featuring emblematic songs from the hottest acts on the scene, with notes on where they came from and what messages they impart to young listeners.

The Jonas Brothers

Song: Goodnight and Goodbye
Sounds like: My Chemical Romance
Minus: The existential dread
Music lesson: Cabaret rock is cool.
Moral lesson: Selfish girls get dumped

Song: Just Friends
Sounds like: Green Day
Minus: The snot
Music lesson: Emo is all about longing
Moral lesson: Wait until you're married

Miley Cyrus

Song: Old Blue Jeans
Sounds like: Joan Jett
Minus: The edge, plus a synthesiser
Music lesson: Heavy guitar can still be sweet
Moral lesson: Don't be fake

Song: 7 Things
Sounds like: Avril Lavigne blended with Faith Hill
Minus: Avril's sullenness
Music lesson: Pop-punk has room for songbirds
Moral lesson: Love is confusing

Miranda Cosgrove/iCarly:

Song: Leave It All to Me (iCarly theme)
Sounds like: Grease
Minus: The doo-wop
Music lesson: Show tunes are fun
Moral lesson: Dreams can come true if you work for them

Song: Headphones On
Sounds like: The Go-Go's
Minus: The thrift-store messiness
Music lesson: Hard rock can be girly
Moral lesson: It's OK to have a bad day

The Naked Brothers Band

Song: I Don't Wanna Go to School
Sounds like: Crocodile Rock
Minus: The campiness
Music lesson: Pianos rock
Moral lesson: School is tough, but then there's summer

Song: Eventually
Sounds like: Hanson
Minus: The Jackson 5 fetish
Music lesson: Everybody needs an anthem (and a choir!)
Moral lesson: Stay optimistic

Camp Rock/Demi Lovato

Song: We Rock
Sounds like: Those American Idol Ford commercials
Minus: David Cook's growl
Music lesson: We rock!
Moral lesson: Find your own voice

Song: This Is Me
Sounds like: U2
Minus: Bono, the Edge
Music lesson: New wave was great
Moral lesson: Change the world by being yourself